Yesterday marked the debut of Episode 3 of the Kansas City Chiefs’ behind-the-scenes documentary series, “The Franchise.” The episode, titled “Clear the Way,” can be view in its entirety below. The episode recapped some things we’ve already seen relating to the NFL draft, but we also learned some things about players Frank Clark, Kahlil McKenzie and Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs expect Frank Clark to have a Mahomes-esque impact
The episode opens with the reveal of the newly branded Thomas Defensive Meeting Room at 1 Arrowhead Drive. The room honors two former Chiefs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the late Derrick Thomas and former player and coach Emmitt Thomas.
Brett Veach brought in a special guest — Clark — to surprise those who were being honored with the new room. Veach’s introduction of Clark revealed some expectations that the Chiefs seem to have for this new player.
“This is another year without a Chiefs first-round pick,” Veach began. “But I will say looking back on the last year, I think you can all agree that the Patrick Mahomes thing kind of worked out, right? And I think when we look back a year from now they’re going to say, ‘Man, I think the Chiefs kind of know what they’re doing because this Frank Clark is the real deal.'”
That’s a bold prediction on the part of Veach, but it doesn’t feel like overconfidence. Clark was brought in to be one of the new alphas on the defensive side of the ball.
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Kahlil McKenzie spent the offseason in Kansas City working out with Will Shields
McKenzie didn’t just have a one-off training session with Shields, a former Chief and Pro Football Hall of Famer, he spent the entire offseason training with him.
Shields has his own training facility in Overland Park, Kansas, called “68’s Inside Sports” (68 is the number that Shields wore when he played for the Chiefs). McKenzie linked up with Shields after the opportunity presented itself.
“I’d love to be able to work with coach (Andy) Heck all year round,” McKenzie said. “Your coaches have a whole lot of responsibilities. So my agent kind of asked me, ‘Would you kind of want to leave to train, or would you be cool just sticking around?’ Me, I’m a homebody. So once I was here I was like, ‘Hey, I’d rather stick around here.’
“He goes, ‘Will Shields is around the area too.’ You see his face all over the facility, his legacy and the mark he left on the NFL. So I was like, ‘Shoot, man, if we can set that up that’d be awesome.'”
They set it up, and this offseason McKenzie had the opportunity to be mentored and molded by one of the greatest guards to play the game. For Shields, it’s less about helping his old club and more about staying connected to the game.
“When I got a little older in the league I felt like I got the opportunity to sort of help the young guys,” Shields said. “Show them some little things and try to be a coach on the field as you could. This gives me that same chance that same opportunity to still be connected to the game. But this has been one of my years where I’ve been able to actually get some guys to come in on a consistent basis. And being able to work with them and help them get ready, get ready for the season. That’s one thing about it, it’s a long haul when you’re trying to go in and make ends meet week in and week out.”
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Patrick Mahomes solicited advice from Shields and Mitch Holthus
Before Mahomes was 2018 NFL MVP, he was a rookie trying to make his way in the league. The voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus, revealed that Mahomes approached both him and Shields and asked them:
“You guys have been around a while. How have you survived?”
Holthus explained that Shields and he shared a very similar answer to the question.
“Every year feels like my rookie year,” Holthus said. “Nothing that I’ve done prior to that is a guarantee for what happens tomorrow. Stay humble. Keep that churn in your stomach like a rookie, but do not mistake that for being meek or a lack of confidence.”
That advice seems to have stuck with Mahomes as he’s seeking to improve his fitness and footwork heading into the 2019 season. He’s not going to be complacent and ride on the successes of the 2018 season. Perhaps those words that Holthus and Shields shared with Mahomes had more purpose than they could have realized.
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